Crimson Eyes
by yuch3n
Summary: 10 years after the death of the 3rd Hokage, Sasuke has defeated Itachi with a series of forbidden jutsus from the Uchiha clan. Not satisfied with his revenge, he is bent on destroying Naruto... along with all the allies of the Leaf.
1. Tears of Blood

He got up with a heaving chest and coughed up blood, as he summoned his remaining chakra. He wearily raised his hands to perform the necessary seal for his jutsu.  
  
"Kage Bunshin No-Jutsu!" He yelled with his ebbing strength. In a flash, multiple Naruto clones popped up in swirls of gray smoke. "Naruto Rasengan Combo! GO!" The Naruto clones gathered balls of swirling chakra in their hands, as they prepared to execute the Fourth Hokage's legacy. The Naruto Rasengan Combo was a technique that Naruto invented. It combined the Rasengan jutsu with Kage Bunshin, which a far deadlier attack than if Naruto performed the Rasengan by himself alone. But Naruto knew that given the skill of his opponent and the weakened state of his body, his Rasengan Combo would have little, if any, effect on him. Its only purpose was to buy an extra minute or so, so that the precious bought time could be used to formulate a last resort plan. As the clones charged forward, Naruto was already analyzing the situation and determining how to escape from this battle alive.  
  
His opponent stood unfaltering, his Sharingan activated. His blood red eyes spun hypnotically, as the Narutos lunged at him, aiming for each of his vital organs. Then, faster than the eye could follow, he attacked, hitting each of the clones squarely in the blink of an eye. In less than a minute, he had methodically destroyed each of the clones. The shadow clones disappeared, leaving only a trace of smoke as a remnant of their ephemeral existence. He walked arrogantly towards Naruto, who was exhausted by his failed endeavor.  
  
"Is that all you can do, scaredy-cat?" He taunted, eyeing his opponent condescendingly. "You've always been weak."  
  
Naruto falteringly stood up, eyeing his former friend and teammate with hatred. "Uchiha Sasuke. You traitor." He spat with his remaining energy. "You betrayed your village for the sake of revenge, and as if that wasn't enough, you set out to destroy what you once protected." He coughed up blood again. The battle had taken a deep toll on him. He was fatigued and teetering on the brink of consciousness. Sasuke knew that fact, and walked closer to better taunt his rival.  
  
"You still can't do shit." He laughed evilly. "Fufufufu..." Naruto had heard that laugh before, except then, it had been Orochimaru who cackled like that, not Sasuke. "You just like before. You've never been able to beat me, and you never will." Sasuke approached Naruto and got down to look him in the eye. "To think that such a weakling could ever defeat me." He spat contemptuously. "Remember that I'm a Uchiha, and you're a nobody."  
  
"Heh." Naruto chuckled in his weakened state, and hacked up blood. He knew that Sasuke wasn't going to let him survive no matter what. His only hope lay in his last hand, his trump card. He wasn't going to die without bring down Sasuke with him. If only Sasuke would kill him soon... the sands of time were slipping away.  
  
"Don't bluff. You've already used up your bag of tricks on me." Sasuke said, brushing a strand of hair back. "Your chakra's gone, and soon, you will be too. Not even Tsunade will be able to save you this time." Sasuke cackled evilly, as he gathered up a large amount of chakra in his hand. Naruto knew this move all too well. He had seen Kakashi use it on numerous occasions. The chidori... a direct hit with it to one's vital organs meant certain death. A thousand birds... Naruto looked up, taking his last glimpses of the world. The sun was bright overhead, and a few birds flew about, chirping sweetly. The peaceful summer scene around him belied the gruesome battle that had took place.  
  
"Goddammit." Naruto thought angrily. He breathed in a few breathes of dry air. "Why didn't I bring any backup with me? God, I'm such an idiot." Focusing on happy thoughts, he tried to recall memories of his life in Konoha. He thought of Kakashi-sensei, who had been a patient mentor to him all those years until he became a Jounin; Jiraiya, who was the father that he never had; Sakura, his wife, and their little son Saku. Little Saku would be five next month, and he was already the top genin in the village. "I'm proud of you, Saku." Naruto thought. "Too bad you're never going to be able to hear me say that." He thought of the 3rd Hokage, who had many years ago sacrificed himself for Konoha. Naruto was about to do the same. He closed his eyes and lay there peacefully, resigned to his death. Blood trickled down his face and landed on his olive green jacket. "Heh... tears of blood..." Naruto thought, as he waited for Sasuke's inevitable death blow.  
  
Just hurry up and kill me, you bastard!" He thought anxiously. Sasuke gathered more chakra into his hand. The ball of lightning in his hand was now about the size of large beach ball. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Naruto thought with a faint grin. For his last resort plan to work, the more chakra Sasuke expended into his chidori, the better it would be for Naruto. "Sasuke, you baka." Naruto coughed, and more blood flew out in a crimson river. "Did you know? I never thought of you as a worthy rival of mine. You're a disgrace to the Uchiha clan." He taunted. His taunt had the desired effect on Sasuke, as he gathered even more chakra into his hands.  
  
"What? Don't talk like that to me, you fool. You're just making your death more painful." Sasuke snarled, as he increased the chakra flow to his palm. The chidori he was generating was now a giant crackling sphere of pure energy. "You're going to die now. Goodbye, Naruto. I'll treasure this moment forever. Raikiri thunder break!" He charged forward and thrust his glowing orb deep into Naruto's chest. Sasuke smiled, and knew that it was impossible for Naruto to have survived such a direct blow like that. But, to his amazement, Naruto disappeared into a plume of smoke. "Oh fuck! That was a clone." He thought. "But how? Impossible... he must've hid one during the Rasengan Combo. So where is the real one? Damn it, I wasted too much chakra in that last chidori." He thought angrily, as he berated himself to have fallen for such an obvious trap. "Little son of a Nine-tails bitch got lucky this time."  
  
"So you are still full of surprises, eh Uzumaki Naruto? To have pulled off such a ruse in your weakened state." He asked tauntingly. The trees whistled back emptily. "Dammit, you son of a bitch, where the fuck are you?" Sasuke was enraged and more cautious. There was no telling where Naruto was. He hesitantly advanced a few feet, and increased the chakra flow to his eyes, maximizing the scope of his Sharingan. He looked up in the sky, and all around him. "The little bitch can't fight, but he can hide pretty damn well." He thought, and advanced cautiously, moving forward gingerly, as if he were walking on broken glass. If he had been a bit more observant, he would have noticed the irregular pattern in the earth. Suddenly, the ground opened up below him. "What the?" He gasped, right before Naruto's foot made contact with his face. The kick directly connected to Sasuke's nose, and blood spewed out like warm water from a faucet as he was knocked into the air by Naruto's blow.  
  
"Like I said, DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME, YOU DUMB FUCK!" Naruto yelled. "Naruto Rendan Combo!" He summoned the reserves of his Nine-tails chakra and performed Kage Bunshin no-Jutsu once again. Each of the clones was perfectly synchronized with each other, as they performed Naruto's version of the Lion Combo. It was remarkablely like Sasuke's Lion Combo; after all, Naruto had basically copied this taijutsu technique from him many years ago. Except... there were a few modifications. The 10 clones leapt up in the air, each striking Sasuke's limbs and chest, as he was pummeled mercilessly through the air. The real Naruto stood on the ground, and removed his last kunai from his belt. Calmly, he fastened an explosive tag to the kunai as he got ready to perform his part in the Lion Combo. Sasuke was getting ready to hit the ground now, and his butt was a few feet directly above Naruto's face. "Perfect." Naruto grinned in anticipation of his technique. Out of all of his jutsus, Naruto like the ending to his Lion Combo the best, for obvious reasons. He diverted chakra flow to his feet and leaped up. "Konoha Leaf Village's Ultimate Taijutsu Technique." He yelled enthusiastically. "A Thousand Years of pain, Naruto style!" He thrust the kunai, with the explosive tag attached, into Sasuke's nether regions.  
  
"A Thousands Years of Pain?!? Oh fuck!" Sasuke's eyes widened in pain at the sudden intrusion of the cold, sharp metal, and he vowed to make Naruto's death slow and painful. He had never suffered such humiliation at the hands of an opponent. He groped around his butt and felt the cold steel of the kunai and the explosive tag. "Wait... what explosive tag?!?" Sasuke thought. "That was never part of A Thousands Years of Pain!" He desperately tried to dislodge the knife, but it was too late. The little paper with destruction written over its face exploded and sent Sasuke howling through the air with pain. Naruto quickly rolled away to avoid the heat of the blast, laughing the whole time. Even with the gravity of the situation, he would have given anything to capture the expression on Sasuke's face. Sasuke landed heavily in the ground, making a light impression in the turf.  
  
"Uggghhh..." Sasuke groaned. "You fucking idiot." He muttered to himself angrily. "How could I have fallen for that childish technique. He got up and advanced toward Naruto with murder in his eyes. He vowed that Naruto would die by the end of this day.  
  
"Acch, hcck, hcck." Naruto coughed up more blood. "Better act quickly." Sasuke was only about 100 meters away, and he looked angry. "Damn, Sasuke's scary enough when he's not mad... but I guess my last technique kinda pissed him off a little." Naruto talked to himself. He wiped the blood on his finger, and in a series of lightning fast hand seals, he performed his ultimate summoning technique with his Nine-tails chakra. "Kuchiyose (Summoning) No Jutsu!!!!" Gamabunta, the toad king, appeared in a plume of smoke.  
  
"What now Naruto?" He asked wearily. Over the last month, he had been summoned way too many times to be healthy. After all, at 500 years old, he wasn't the young tadpole he used to be. Gamabunta scanned the battlefield, and widened his eyes when he saw Sasuke. "Naruto! BAKA! What are you, suicidal?" He groaned. "That man's a S class criminal. They had to create an entire new category just for him! Oh man, what have I gotten myself into. Damn it, I shoulda never let you on my back, even though if you are the Fourth Hokage's son."  
  
"Stop whining, Bunta, and let's kick some ass." Naruto grinned with empty confidence. He tried sounding optimistic, but for once in his life, Naruto started to doubt himself. His usual arrogance and self-confidence were thrown to the wind as he faced his childhood rival. This man... this boy, then only 16 years old, had single handedly defeated Uchiha Itachi. Over the years, none of the ANBU squads sent to take him into custody returned alive. He was a monster, and had enough skill to rival the combined power of the five combined kages. "Frog boss, Henge Combo, now!" Naruto commanded. "We've got no time to waste."  
  
"Alright!" The toad king exclaimed, as he and Naruto made the flurry of transformation hand seals. Master and familiar disappeared into a plume of smoke, and when the smoke dissipated, Kyuubi stood in their place. Even though it was only a transformation, the Nine-tails Demon looked as intimidating as the real one.  
  
"Heh, you think such a illusion can faze me?" Sasuke sneered. "Watch this... something new I've learned." He bit his thumb and a drop of crimson blood leaked out. Naruto watched him in bewilderment.  
  
"What? Since when did Sasuke get a summoning technique?" Naruto asked Gamabunta. "That's what he's doing, right?" Sasuke was performing a series of intricate hand seals, too fast for the eye to follow.  
  
"Oh no. It can't be..." muttered Gamabunta. "If he's summoning who I think he is..."  
  
"Who? What?" Naruto asked impatiently. "We can take on whatever he summons, right, Frog boss?"  
  
"Naruto... let me enlighten you on a bit of the Uchiha clan's ancient history. Centuries ago, before the Great War, the Uchiha clan was Konoha Village's most powerful ninja family, even more powerful than the Hyuga clan. They were valiant and brave ninjas who protected the village with their lives. Back then, the Uchiha clan had been extremely powerful. It was a warring era, and survival often meant killing others so that one didn't get killed himself. After the war, the ninja villages became peaceful and there was little fighting. So, the Uchiha clan sealed their most destructive jutsus away."  
  
"So where'd they hide them?" Naruto interrupted.  
  
"I was going to explain that." Gamabunta said. "They sealed them into their Sharingans. The Uchiha clan's bloodline limit gets passed down every generation, so this means that the forbidden jutsus were passed down to later generations as well. This didn't mean that a user of the Sharingan could The only way to reveal these jutsus was in the event of grave danger... when one Uchiha turned on another."  
  
"So... when Itachi attacked Sasuke... he?" Naruto asked quizzically.  
  
"Yes, but that's not just it. The person must be attacked directly with the Sharingan, and in Sasuke's case, Itachi had used the Tsyukmoi, the God of the Moon, technique on Sasuke when he was a child. And you might recall that many years ago, while you were traveling with Jiraiya, Itachi had tried to capture you. When Sasuke intervened he had used his Sharingan on Sasuke, causing him to fall into a deep coma. It is during this coma, when the forbidden jutsus come into light. During his coma, Sasuke probably received instruction in these jutsus through his dreams. That, Naruto, is the ultimate power of the Sharingan. Although it is powerful by itself, the jutsus it hides are even more powerful and destructive." Gamabunta completed his brief narration.  
  
"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU! Double summoning technique" Sasuke roared. By now, he had finally completed his summoning technique. In a blinding flash of light and veil of smoke, a huge tiger, covered in metal armor, and Manda, the King of Snake appeared on the landscape.  
  
"What is it this time, Uchiha Sasuke?" The tiger demanded. "More ANBU squads?" He licked his chops hungrily.  
  
"Ssss...." Manda hissed. "Bunta, we meet again. Heh, you don't look too well for your age."  
  
"Alright you two, you know what to do." Sasuke smiled. All he had to do now was to sit back and enjoy the bloody show that was about to unfold. Almost nothing could stand in the destructive power of Temichi and Manda combined.  
  
"Naruto, that's just one of the forbidden jutsus of Uchiha clan. Long ago, the clan formed a blood pact with the tigers of Konoha. Sasuke hasn't mastered the Uchiha summon yet, for Temichi isn't the king of tigers. If Sasuke was able to summon the real thing.... then Konoha would be facing a danger it has yet to see." Gamabunta said. He strongly doubted that he would survive facing both Temichi and Manda. Manda was already a handful by himself, and Bunta had no idea of the jutsus that Temichi possessed. "Naruto, run. I will do my best to hold them. It is not your time to die yet. Konoha still needs you."  
  
"No! I can still fight, we can still... hcck." Naruto spewed out a river of blood, staining his olive green vest. "Bunta... we can still beat them."  
  
"No, Naruto... we will surely perish we try. Now go! Don't worry about me." Gamabunta drew both of his custom crafted dagger, each the size of pine tree.  
  
"NO! I'm not.... going to... leave a friend behind." Naruto gasped. "Even if I die, I'll have no regrets."  
  
"Alright, cut the drama you two." Sasuke sneered. "Bunta, you better run off now. Jiraiya's gonna need you alive for his sake. Naruto, since you're so eager to die, then do so." Sasuke formed another chidori and charged towards Naruto. Naruto made no attempt to move, for he couldn't. His body had completely given on him as he stared at his inevitable death.  
  
"Goodbye... world." He thought, taking a last glimpse of the scenery around him. He just wished that somehow, the ninjas of Konoha would be able to defeat Sasuke later on without him.  
  
Gamabunta moved in front of Naruto, shielding the ninja from Sasuke. "No... if Naruto gets killed... then... Kyuubi will... It cost the 4th Hokage his life to seal him... if Naruto died then..." He yelled. "Sasuke! Don't kill him! You have no idea of the consequences of your action!" He moved in to intercept Sasuke, but was immediately blocked by Temichi and Manda.  
  
"Heh, too late, Gamabunta. Naruto will die now." Sasuke cried triumphantly. He finally had the opportunity to kill his lifelong rival. "Naruto... too bad you have to die. It's a pity. Of all people, I thought that you were the only one who could at least put up a fight. But it turns out that I overestimated your strength." Naruto pulled himself upright with his ebbing strength to look Sasuke in the eye. His vision was swimming. Sasuke became a wavy pattern of black and red dots. He could make out anything at all, as his body readied itself for eternal sleep. He dimly heard the words.... sorry... death... Naruto...Sasuke...NO!.... Kyubbi... DIE. Just before he lost complete consciousness, he saw some sort of blue lightning making its way towards his chest and the image of a grinning demon. 


	2. Revelation

Chapter 1: Revelation  
  
"AHHHH!" Naruto awoke, drenched in sweat. His chest heaved up and down as beads of perspiration dripped down his face. He fumbled around in bed and glanced at the clock. It was 4:00, still early. He sat up and stood still, contemplating his last dream. He had had these disturbing dreams for a whole week now, and the ending was always the same. No matter what Naruto did, Sasuke always killed him in the end. "Is it possible?" Naruto thought. "That Sasuke is communicating to me through my dreams with his Sharingan? Why would he want to forewarn me of an attack though?" He thought about his dream a bit longer. "And those jutsus... are they real? I'll have to consult Tsunade and Jiraiya about this today." He leaned over and tenderly kissed Sakura on the forehead. She looked so peaceful sleeping there, her chest rising up and down with a steady cadence.  
  
"Mmmph... not yet, honey." Sakura murmured. "Gimme a few more hours...zZZzzzzzz..." Naruto bent down to wipe off the trail of drool that had accumulated on Sakura's chin over the night.  
  
"Geez." He thought. "Women look so prim and proper during the day... but at night... they're digusting." He donned the customary Jounin outfit: a navy blue jumpsuit, along with the standard olive green vest. After dressing, he headed to the bathroom. He unzipped his pants and let out a stream of bright yellow piss. "Aaaaahhh...." He moaned. "Nothing beats a piss at 4 in the morning." After finishing, he poked his blonde head into Saku's room. Saku lay there sleeping, his arm hugging a mini Naruto doll. He smiled at his son. Naruto was a celebrity in Konoha now, having saved the village a total of 3 times already. You monster!... Stay away from my children... Go away, you freak... We don't wanna play with you, you're different... He recalled his painful childhood memories, when he was taunted on a regular basis, because of his inner demons. But now... he was acknowledged. People no longer spat the Uzumaki name with contempt, but with respect and reverence. Naruto smiled and forgot about the past as he set out of his house to seek out Jiraiya and Tsunade. His dreams still troubled him, and he wanted to find out more about his mysterious visions.  
  
Konoha Village at 4 AM was like a totally new world to Naruto. It lacked the usual bustle of street vendors and hawkers. Few stores were open at this time. "Hmm... Tsunade's probably getting her beauty sleep right now, so where would I find Jiraiya?" He thought to himself. "If he's not training, then he's either chasing after women or gathering data." Naruto made his way towards Sakamari Street, where the public baths were located. As expected, he spied a head full of white fuzzy hair bobbing up and down in front of a peephole. "Ugh... disgusting." Naruto muttered quietly. "Peeping this early? Doesn't that perv ever sleep?" There was no mistaking the legendary Sennin as he tried to get better glimpses of the inside of the bathhouse. "Hehehe." Naruto chuckled quietly. "Maybe I'll go surprise him. Sexy No-Jutsu!" Naruto transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman with perfect proportions in a practically non-existent bikini. He strutted deliberately towards the bathhouse, humming a tune as he walked. Jiraiya, distracted by Naruto's humming turned to see a hot chick in a bikini walking towards him.  
  
"OH SHIZZAMM!" He thought lustily, as his eyes popped out of his socket. "What a babe. WHAT A BABE! Must be my lucky day." Even at 60, the perverted hermit hadn't lost an ounce of his pervertness. In fact, it only increased throughout the years as he got older. He walked up to the gorgeous, voluptuous chick and growled salaciously. "So... how YA doing."  
  
"Heeheehee." Naruto struggled to hold a straight face as he giggled inside. "Oh, sir." He purred seductively. "Please, help me adjust this strap here." He pulled a strap of his bikini down, revealing enough cleavage to put Tsunade to shame. "Right about... here." He bent down lower, flashing another eyeful of cleavage to the perverted hermit.  
  
"W-WITH PLEASURE, MA'AM!" Jiraiya stammered lustily, as he brought his hands up eagerly. "Heh heh heh..." He thought lewdly. "I'll just accidentally slip my hand here... and maybe accidentally grab a little...no... a big something there." He giggled and looked at Naruto hungrily, like a little kid looked at Halloween candy. "Alright, sexy lady. Here I come!"  
  
Before Jiraiya had a chance to fondle those golden apples, Naruto transformed. "Hey pervert!" He grinned impishly, and chirped, "Morning!"  
  
"WHAAAT!" Jiraiya screamed. "Naruto! T.T For 5 minutes, I was in heaven. How can you treat an old man like that? Show some respect for your elders."  
  
"Yeah, look who's talking, perv." Naruto retorted. "I'm not the one trying to feel up younger men."  
  
"Well that was different. I saw a busty blonde." Jiraiya said defensively. "And she was coming on to me."  
  
"Ugh... seriously, you old geezer. You're a bad influence on Saku." Naruto said. "All he does now in his spare time is read Come, Come Paradise... and he seems particularly eager whenever you bring him off to training." He added suspiciously. "I can only imagine what type of training it is." He glared at Jiraiya accusingly.  
  
"Eh... hehehe..." Jiraiya blushed sheepishly, and then resumed his composure. "The art of voyeuriâ er I mean spying. Yes, spying. Spying is an invaluable resource to peepingâ I mean ninjas. Yes. Ninjas." He continued haltingly. "Umm... yes, where was I. Oh yes, ninjas. The tactical advantages of peepâ er um... spying is limitless, andâ. Alright, alright. I admit it. We go on data gathering together."  
  
"Data gathering, eh?" Naruto asked wistfully. "Bring me along next time. Sakura's have mood swings lately, and this week, she's been on my case about spring cleaning." He groaned. "She's not having sex until I finish cleaning the house."  
  
"Ah, poor you." Jiraiya offered a comforting hand to Naruto. "That must a torture... especially with a wife like yours. Tell you what. Let's make it today at noon. Meet at Ichiru's Raman, and it'll just be like old times, me and you."  
  
"Do what at noon?" A familiar chirpy voice questionedâ a voice that Naruto knew all too well. "What are we doing today at noon, huh? A nice family reunion, Naruto?"  
  
"Oh shit..." Naruto groaned, and he turned away to face Sakura. "Sakura... honey... good morning." He chuckled weakly, as he turned around to face the woman whom he feared and loved the most in the world. "Um...hi.. Sakura." Naruto said apprehensively. "So...what brings you out this early?" He asked nervously, hoping not to incite her anger.  
  
"Why, I was just about to ask you the same thing." Sakura replied. "I see you have some 'data gathering' job arranged with Jiraiya, huh?" Her eyes narrowed into cat-like slits.  
  
"Uh oh." Naruto thought. "Quick, Naruto, think fast. You don't want her to unleash her genjutsu, like last time. AH YES! Sakura, you see, this past week, I've been having some troubling dreams, where Sasuke was fighting me with these forbidden jutsus from the Uchiha Clan. At the end, I always died, and I have a feeling that these dreams are sending me a subliminal message about a not-so-distant future. So, I've decided to consult Jiraiya about this over lunch at Ichiru's." He lied. Well it wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth, either.  
  
"No... we were talking about peepinâ OW!" Jiraiya was quickly cut off as Naruto stomped down on his foot. He grimaced with pain, as he got the point. "Yes... those dreams." He adopted a somber attitude. "These are real dreams, right Naruto? Not something you..." He glanced suggestively at Sakura.  
  
"No, it's not about that. In fact, this was the main reason I came to find you... before I got distracted." Naruto said, narrowing his eyes at his mentor.  
  
"Hmmm... if these dreams are real... then there may be some trouble." The legendary Sennin pondered a bit, twirling his mane of silver hair. "Tell me about your dreams. I want every single detail." Naruto unfolded his tale about his dreams for the past week. He explained about the hidden jutsus that Gamabunta told him about and he talked about Temichi, the tiger that Sasuke had summoned. When he told Jiraiya about the secrets of the Sharingan, however, both Sakura's and Jiraiya's eyes grew wide. "Wait... this is the disturbing part. Did you have any idea about the history of the Uchiha clan before your dreams?" Jiraiya asked, his voice adopting a more intense light.  
  
"Um... no. I only knew that Itachi killed his whole family except Sasuke, and now Sasuke defeated Itachi." Naruto replied. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Becauseâ" Jiraiya began, but was cut off by Sakura.  
  
"Naruto..." Sakura said, ever the scholar. "I know the entire history of the Uchiha clan. I've always found their history interesting." She blushed slightly, recalling her childhood crush on Sasuke. "Amazingly, what you just said... is entirely true. Before the Great War, the Uchiha clan had a series of devastating jutsus that had saved Konoha from danger countless times." She took a deep breath of air, and continued her oration. "After the Great War, the Uchihas vowed to seal up these jutsus forever. They were simply too destructive to be used. One example was Katon Uzu Enkou Ryoukan no jutsu. As you know, the Uchiha clan was renowned for its mastery of the flame elements. Katon Uzu Enkou Ryoukan no jutsu was known as "the eternal flame"; it is a type of magical fire that can't be extinguished. If a ninja had been burned with Ryoukan no jutsu, he was good as dead in a matter of hours. In the wrong hands, these forbidden jutsus could wreak tremendous destruction. However, the Uchiha clan sealed the jutsus into the recesses of their Sharingans, exactly how you described it." She finished, then asked in bewilderment. "How did you know all of this in your dreams, Naruto, and why, of all people, didn't you tell me about these dreams?"  
  
"Naruto, Sakura... I can explain." Jiraiya replied, and exhaled. He had wanted to tell Naruto this later, but apparently, with the chain of events that have unfolded, it was imperative to tell him now. It was true... everything Kyuubi had told him was making sense now. The cherry blossoms... have finally bloomed. "Naruto, the Nine-tails sealed inside you... it is very much a part of you."  
  
"Yes, I know that already. It gives me enormous reserves of chakra when I need it." Naruto stated.  
  
"Yes... but that's not it. Kyuubi is sealed inside of you, but he is alive as you or me." Jiraiya explained furthur. "Kyuubi is no ordinary demon. He is the last of a line of extremely powerful fox demons which once roamed the lands freely, terrorizing people at will and destroying whole villages whenever they felt like it. Thus, ANUBE, a group of ninjas created from the top Jounins and Sennins from every village, was formed to destroy these demons." He inhaled deeply again, and continued his tale. "Twenty years later, only two of the fox demons remained: Kyuubi, the Nine-tails Fox Demon and Kirgora, his mate. Kirgora was much less powerful than Kyuubi, and she was killed in a violent fight on the outskirt of Konoha Village. However, she killed many of our top Jounin and Chuunin ninjas before she died. Because of her death by the hands of the Leaf ninjas, Kyuubi vowed to take revenge on Konoha, and made nightly raids on our village, killing many villagers. Sarutobi Sensei, along with Orochimaru..." He paused, as he spat that hated name out contemptuously. "...Tsunade, and me, sought to defeat the demon singlehandedly. After a long six-hour battle that put us on the limits of physical exertion, we believed we had Kyuubi cornered and beat. But, to our astonishment, he then displayed signs of psychotic power which we had never seen before. Flashes of the past and visions of the future flew through our heads, as each of us suffered a traumatizing glimpse of our fleeting lives." He paused, taking time to catch his breath. "Each of us was knocked out cold, and when we woke up, a month had already passed since the battle. We were told that we were found unconscious and suffered massive comas. It was during this time when the 4th Hokage used his forbidden soul-sealer jutsu to seal up Kyuubi once and for all. He placed Kyuubi's soul into the womb of his lover, Yonida, who died immediately after giving birth to you, Naruto."  
  
Naruto, moved by the untold story of his past, asked in a hoarse whisper. "My mother... can I... visit her?" He previous frivolous demeanor had been replaced with a mask of seriousness that looked unfamiliar on him.  
  
"Yes... after I finish, I will show you her grave. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but during my coma, I was visited by Kyuubi. Apparently, he has the ability to see the future, and he left me the cryptic message to tell the demon-child of his past, when the cherry blossoms have bloomed. For many years, I wondered about the meaning of this message, and for many years I had thought that by cherry blossoms, Kyuubi was referring to Sakura. Two weeks ago, I was getting ready to tell you about your past, but the night before, Kyuubi visited me again to say that it wasn't time yet. I finally understand now... the cherry blossoms refer not to Sakura, but to Sasuke's Sharingan. Naruto, we must prepare now. Time is slipping, and the dreams that you've had the last week are warnings that Kyuubi has sent you."  
  
"So... that means I will die to Sasuke, if I ever face him." Naruto said coldly.  
  
"No, not necessarily. You see, Naruto, after being bonded to you for these 20 something years, Kyuubi has taken a liking to you. That fact was revealed from the start when you were able to utilize his chakra. If you were to die, Naruto, Kyuubi would perish with you. He doesn't want that to happen, so he is warning you of the power that Sasuke can be capable of. I do not know when Sasuke will reach the level that he is at in your dream, nor do I know whether he will ever reach that level, but one thing is for certain. If he does reach that pinnacle, then all of Konoha is doomed."  
  
"So how are we going to defeat Sasuke and save Konoha? He's already killed the 3 ANBU squads sent to capture him." Naruto inquired anxiously. It was dawn already, and the streets were beginning to fill up with the usual bustle of people. The smell of ramen filled the streets, as breakfast vendors served hungry customers. "We need to consult Tsunade about this matter, now. Kuchiyose No Jutsu!" He summoned Gamakichi, Gamabunta's son.  
  
"What now, Naruto?" The little frog inquired sleepily. "I was having such a wonderful dream, too." He groused grumpily.  
  
"Just be happy you've had good dreams lately." Naruto muttered, and then commanded. "Go get Kakashi and tell him to meet us at Tsunade's office now." The meeting would actually take place in about an hour, but Naruto took account of Kakashi's habitual lateness. "Come on, you guys, we've got a mission to start and a Sasuke to catch!" He yelled enthusiastically, as the three friends made their way through the crowded streets of Konoha. 


	3. Manifest Destiny

Chapter 2: Manifest Destiny  
  
"...Sasuke... your destiny calls you... it's time..." His father called after him. The autumn wind picked up a  
  
"Father?" Sasuke asked in bewilderment. No, it was impossible. His father was dead, murdered by Itachi years ago. He bit his lip, and tasted blood. "So I'm not dreaming." He thought, and cried joyfully. "You're... alive." He ran over to embrace the shadowy figure. "Father, it is so good to see you. So much has changed since you have gone. I have defeated Itachi, and I will bring honor to the family again."  
  
"That is good, my son." His father smiled. "You are a true Uchiha." He praised Sasuke. "But why didn't you kill Itachi, like you were supposed to?" His voice adopted a cold steely tone as he berated his son.  
  
"I didn't have time. He vanished before I had a chance to kill him." Sasuke murmured regrettably. "But, don't worry, father, the next time we meet, I will surely kill him and avenge my family."  
  
"You're a disgrace to our clan, Sasuke. There will be no next time." His father sneered contemptuously. "Capture Itachi and kill the ninjas of the Leaf Village... together, you two shall rebuild the former glory of the Uchiha clan from the ashes of Konoha!" The apparition disappeared in a blinding flash of light.  
  
Sasuke closed his eyes to avoid the painful flare of light, and pondered about what had just taken place. He calmed down as he thought pensively. "My father is dead..." He said quietly to himself. "I saw him murdered in front of my eyes, but is it possible?" He asked himself. "... that I was visited by my father's spirit? And does he want me to capture Itachi... and destroy Konoha with him?"  
  
The cold breeze cut through his thin coat and chilled him to the bones, but Sasuke showed no signs of freezing. After all, he was an Uchiha, and he couldn't be bothered by such trivial things like the weather. No, he had more important things to worry about, like finding Itachi. "Father... I will not fail you, and I will honor your last request, I swear." Sasuke vowed. "Kuchiyose No-Jutsu!" Temichi, the armored plated tiger appeared in a swirl of smoke. "Temichi, use Tracking No-Jutsu to pinpoint Itachi. We're going to bring him back alive this time." The giant tiger nodded speechlessly and let his master ride on his back, as they bounded off in search of Sasuke's older brother.  
  
After Sasuke left, a lone figure revealed himself in the overhanging tree branches. His streaming jet-black hair waved wildly in the wind, giving him a demonic look. "Kukukuku..." The mysterious figure cackled. His plan had worked. The complex genjutsu technique he had used finally wore off now. "Uchiha Sasuke... you have indeed grown much more powerful. To be able to summon Temichi..." He laughed triumphantly. "But, who would have known that after all these years, you would still be this easy to manipulate? Run, child. Find Itachi... and soon, Konoha will be mine once and for all! Destiny awaits!" He laughed again, his serpent-like eyes blinking away tears of joy and malice. 


	4. Rock vs Rock

Chapter 3:  
  
"Outta my way!" Naruto shouted rudely as he bowled over yet another vendor, knocking over his cart and breaking countless pieces of expensive porcelain. "Oops, sorry about that. By the way, the name's Hyuuga Neji. Just send the bill over to my place on Hyuuga Lane." He grinned. Later, he would have to explain to Neji as to why Neji suddenly owed 2 billion yen to various street vendors. "Oh well." He thought. "The Hyuugas are rich, they can foot the bill." Pausing to take a short breath, he finally saw the looming façade of Konoha Ninja Headquarters through the dissipating fog. The morning sun rose and rays of sunlight peeked through the mist, casting a sublime effect on the three ninjas.  
  
"We're finally here." Sakura gasped, panting for air. They had sprinted the whole 4 miles from the bathhouse, and they arrived at last. The three walked up to the gate, guarded by two Leaf-nins.  
  
"Show some identification." One of the guards barked, and then seeing the three, quickly changed his attitude. "Oh, Jiraiya-sama, Sakura-sama, Naruto-sensei. My apologies. The fog makes it hard to see."  
  
"Konohamaru-san!" Naruto greeted his student happily. "So you got stuck with guarding that old hag this week, huh?" Naruto and Jiraiya were probably the only two people in Konoha who were daring, or stupid, enough to refer to the 5th Hokage that way. "So, how's your morning, Konohamaru?" Naruto was especially fond of the young Chuunin. Even though they were 8 years apart, they had remained good friends ever since Naruto became his unofficial sensei. It was only 4 years ago when Konohamaru graduated from ninja school as a Genin, and by a stroke of luck, he had been assigned to Naruto's team. Now, he had already proved his mettle by quickly rising to become one of the top Chuunins in the village. He was truly the 3rd Hokage's grandson. "How's Hanabi doing?" Naruto winked. It was only recently when Konohamaru confided to Naruto about his love for Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister.  
  
"Huh, what?" Konohamaru blushed bright red to the tips of his ears. "Oh um, we're fine. Can we talk about this some other time?" He asked nervously, as Sakura's and Jiraiya's ears suddenly perked up.  
  
"Yeah sure, no problem." Naruto said, and asked. "Is Tsunade up yet?"  
  
"No, and if I were you, I wouldn't go wake her up. You know how the 5th likes to sleep in." Konohamaru warned, yawning and closing his eyes. "She'd use some of her crazy medicinal jutsu to give you a month of diarrhea if you woke her up now." When he opened his eyes, however, he found that he was speaking to empty air. "Oh well." He said, going back to his post. "Don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
Knock, knock.  
  
"Come on, come on, gimme a 6." Tsunade thought anxiously as she rolled the die. Her notorious losing streak had left her owning a total of 10 billion ryu, and she was counting on this last gamble to earn her money back.  
  
Knock, knock, knock.  
  
What was that distracting noise? She gave the wooden cup a few more shakes and let it fall, trapping the die inside. Fellow gamblers and spectators crowded around to see the outcome of the roll. Was Tsunade, known as the Legendary Sucker, finally going to get lucky this time? She slowly removed the cup, and, lo behold, a six appeared!  
  
Knock, knock, knock, knock.  
  
She finally did it; she had finally broke even with this last gamble. "YES!" She yelled triumphantly, as she contemplated on how to re-spend her regained money. "DAYOOOO!"  
  
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.  
  
"Open up, you old hag!" Came an all-too familiar voice from outside.  
  
"...Huh?" Tsunade's eyes slowly opened from her dream, and she thought happily. "YES! I did it! I got my money back." Then, reality hit her, as the intensity of that incessant knocking noise increased.  
  
"Open up already, old hag!" Naruto shouted from outside the door. "Man, what's taking her so long?" He thought.  
  
"ARGH!" She thought angrily. "Curse that loud-mouthed Naruto." She grumbled. "I was having such a nice dream too..." She opened the door grumpily. "You three better have a good excuse to wake me this early." She warned sleepily.  
  
"Um? Excuse me? Is this Tsunade's room?" Naruto and Sakura asked. The woman in front of them looked at least as old as Jiraiya. Jiraiya stifled a snicker as the two younger Jounins stared at Tsunade's true form in astonishment. She hadn't had time to transform in her younger form yet.  
  
"Wow, she's gotten kinda pruney over these years." Jiraiya thought. After all those the years, even he had forgotten what Tsunade really looked like.  
  
"Of course I'm Tsunade. What are you two, blind?" She stuck her head into Naruto's face, as he reeled back, disgusted. Tsunade then realized that she hadn't changed into her younger form yet. "Gimme me a minute." She said, and slammed the door in the younger ninjas' horrified faces. "Kage Henge No- Jutsu!" In a flash, she transformed into a busty, voluptuous blonde again. "Alright, is this better?" She appeared to look twenty again, to the relief of Sakura and Naruto.  
  
"Tsunade-sama." Naruto addressed the medicinal expert with more respect. "I have an important matter that I need to consult you about. Hurry up and get dressed, and we'll meet you down for breakfast." He bade her goodbye, and the three left for the dining hall on the lower floor, leaving a still drowsy and bewildered Hokage behind. Tsunade went back into her room and changed into a more formal dress. She was the Hokage after all, and even if she didn't act like one, she thought with a giggle, she at least had to dress like one.  
  
"So what exactly does Naruto want to talk to me about?" She mused, pondering the subject. "Might as well find out over breakfast. Hmm... I wonder how Saku's training is coming along. The Chuunin exam will begin in a week. I look forward to promoting him." Tsunade was extremely fond of the young Genin, widely regarded to be the most powerful rookie in Konoha. Only Hyroto, the 6-year-old daughter of Hyuuga Neji and Hinata, had enough skill to be considered an equal. She decided to drop by Naruto's house after breakfast to check on Saku. The little blonde-haired rascal was exactly like a younger version of the 4th, in looks and demeanor. "Boy, was he a handful." Tsunade chuckled, recalling memories of Yondaime as she slipped into her robe. She blinked back a suppressed tear, as she hurried downstairs to join everybody else.  
  
Downstairs, Naruto, Sakura, and Jiraiya were already settled for breakfast. Naruto happily dug into his bowl of ramen, utterly lost in his temporary world of bliss. "Alright, gimme another bowl." He exclaimed, patting his bulging stomach. If there was one thing good about being Hokage, he decided, it would have to be the free food. Jiraiya and Sakura just stared at him as he started on his third bowl of ramen. Their plates of food were barely touched.  
  
"Geez, how can he still manage to eat so much?" Sakura thought in astonishment. "Just half an hour ago, he was worrying about facing Sasuke, but now..." Naruto continued to wolf down ramen, as if he was eating his last meal. The sound of rapidly descending footsteps was heard, as Tsunade joined the group.  
  
"So, what's important enough to wake me up this early?" She questioned Naruto. She was getting curious about what had fazed Naruto enough to make him want to seek her help. He looked up through a mouthful of ramen, as he began his tale. Naruto started by telling her about his recurring dreams, and then of Sasuke. At the mention of the jutsus contained in Sharingan, however, Tsunade grew alarmed.  
  
"What?! He unlocked the secret of the Sharingan by himself..." She mused. "Hmm... his power has grown a lot since he... became a missing-Nin." A missing- Nin referred to any Ninja who abandoned their village to go out on their own. Missing-Nins were like the Sennin, with the exception that the Sennin still retained their communal ties. "At only the age of 14 too..." She thought regrettable. "Dammit Tsunade. If only you took action sooner... you were a fool to ever consider Orochimaru's proposition." Years ago, Orochimaru had asked Tsunade to cure his arms, and in return, he would revive the 1st the 4th Hokages. "God, if only I had hurried back to Konoha and became Hokage... I could have convinced Sasuke to forgo his thoughts of revenge." Although she had never met Sasuke personally, she had heard from many ninjas that he was an exceptionally strong Shinobi. She cleared her throat, and said to Naruto. "The secret jutsus of the Sharingan exist undoubtedly, but... I still don't know for sure whether your dreams are prophetic or not. But rest assured, I will not let Konoha fall to any Shinobi, be he Sasuke or not. Jiraiya, Naruto, Sakura, spread the word that there will be a mandatory meeting tonight, at headquarters. As for now, you three are dismissed." She stood up and started the walk up to her room. Just then, a fuzzy silver head popped up from behind the door, followed by a flash of mountain green.  
  
"Wow, for once, he was early." Naruto thought. In his 8 years of knowing Kakashi, there was never a time where Kakashi was early, and this time, he had even managed to bring a friend.  
  
"Konoha need not fear." Gai boasted arrogantly. "For the spirit of Konoha, the prideful green beast, Maito Gai, is here!" He flashed a smile, revealing his straight row of pearly white teeth.  
  
"Huh?" Kakashi pretended to snap out of his reverie. "Did you say something?" He asked Gai, puzzled.  
  
Tears streamed down Gai's face, as he clutched his hair. He breathed fire, as he thought furiously, "Why Kakashi! How is it that you're always so COOL?" He sniffled enviously. "You are worthy of being my rival. What I wouldn't give to have just HALF of your coolness! Kakashi! I challenge you to..."  
  
"Yes..." Kakashi smiled, in anticipation of the ensuing battle. So far the score between them was 201-202, with Gai in the lead. Now was a chance for him to even up with Gai.  
  
"A battle of..." Gai said.  
  
"Skill..." Kakashi continued for him.  
  
"...and luck..."  
  
"As they say, with luck comes power." Kakashi smiled.  
  
"JANKEN!" The two Jounins chanted in unison, as the spectators dropped their jaws in disbelief. Here were two of the strongest Jounins in Konoha, competing over a game of... rock, paper, scissors?! The two ninjas competed over anything, from fighting to poetry, and apparently even janken. None of the ninjas understood the rivalry between Kakashi and Gai. It lacked the mutual hatred that usual rivals held for each other; in fact, the two Shinobi seemed to enjoy the competition between them.  
  
"Ready, Kakashi?" Gai grinned wolfishly.  
  
"Whenever you are, Gai." Kakashi said, showing no emotion on his face.  
  
"First... my self-imposed rule." Gai started, as Kakashi groaned. Gai had to have a rule whenever he losed, usually in some form of physical exertion. "If I lose... I will..." He stated fiercely. "... I will... eh, Kakashi, I've seem to run out of rules for myself." He smiled sheepishly.  
  
"You can always run 500 laps around Konoha on your hands again." Kakashi said and added hopefully. "Or you can even add a twist to it. Run 500 laps around Konoha on your hands, with me on your feet."  
  
"No free ride for you..." Gai said, as he thought of a rule for himself. "Climb Fuzuki Mountain with only pinkie fingers? Done that. 10000 one armed pushups? Boring." He yawned. "Hey Naruto!" He said to the younger Jounin. "Gimme some kind of punishment for me to do, in the unlikely chance that I should lose to Kakashi."  
  
"Hmm..." Naruto thought. He had to make up a good one. "What one thing tires me out the most?" The answer came to him immediately, as he giggled inside evilly. "Okay Gai... if you lose... you have to... teach Saku for an entire day." Only Naruto and Sakura knew how exhausting teaching Saku could be, especially when the little guy used Kage Bunshin no-Jutsu. Then, it was impossible to keep track of him.  
  
"Done! Hatake Kakashi!" Gai yelled. "If I, Maito Gai, should lose or even tie to you in Janken, then I will teach Uzumaki Saku for one day for each game that I lose or tie. That is my self-imposed rule!"  
  
"Alright now... let's start." Kakashi pulled up his Shinobi forehead protector, revealing his sole Sharingan. "Hehehe..." He snickered. "The first ten games will be fun... " Gai was an amazingly blunt person. It had never occurred to him that out of all the games of Janken with Kakashi... he had lost every single one.  
  
"...ROCK!..."  
  
"...PAPER!.." Kakashi focused his Sharingan on Gai's hands, mimicking his exact movements. He wasn't called known as the Copy Ninja for nothing.  
  
"...SCISSORS!..." The two opponents revealed their weapons of choice in this heated game of chance.  
  
"WHAT! The same exact choice as me!" Gai marveled as both he and Kakashi showed scissors. "Again!" He exclaimed. The two Jounins started a brand new game.  
  
"Heh..." Gai thought. "This time, I'll use my reverse psychology on Kakashi. Since I chose scissors, he'll think that I'm trying to trick him by choosing scissors again, so he'll choose rock, but he knows that I know that he'll choose rock, while I choose paper, so he's going to choose scissors, and I will choose rock and defeat him once and for all." His eyes burned with a fiery passion. "Prepare yourself, Kakashi!"  
  
"...ROCK!..."  
  
"...PAPER!.."  
  
"...SCISSORS!..."  
  
"I've got you this time, Kakashi." Gai thought triumphantly as he revealed a clenched fist, indicating rock. "WHAT? A-A-AGAIN?" He stuttered speechlessly as Kakashi also revealed a closed fist. "It's as if he can read my mind or something..." He muttered to himself, as he challenged Kakashi once again. "Alright, one more!"  
  
"Wow, isn't Gai-sensei nice?" Sakura asked Naruto. "At this rate, Saku will finally be off our hands, and we can finally get to spend some time together.... alone." She winked slyly. Ever since Saku was born, Naruto and Sakura had been forced to juggle precious time around. The couple was either training their teams of three Shinobi, or taking care of Saku. Even though Saku was a powerful ninja already, he was still just a little kid, and needed a lot of time with his parents.  
  
"WHAT?! AGAIN?" Sakura's daydreams were interrupted by Gai's cry of agony. Unsurprising, the two had tied again. "Impossible. My luck must be going against me today." He shook his head.  
  
"Three days, Gai." Kakashi smirked. "Ready for another game?"  
  
"I will not rest until I have defeated you, Kakashi." Gai stated fiercely. "You are my eternal rival." He flashed another confident, bright grin. The two continued the game of "chance"; frequent screams of disgust could be heard of the green-clad Jounin as he tied game after game. After the fourteenth game, however, Kakashi decided to take pity on him.  
  
"Two weeks with Saku will shorten his life by ten years." Kakashi thought dryly, as he proceeded with the fifteenth game. He wanted to make Gai suffer a bit, but fourteen days with Saku... he thought... hell, he'd rather be locked up with a PMS-y Anko for a month--- not that he wouldn't mind, of course. "Alright Gai, I have a feeling you'll win this one." He sighed resignedly, as he purposely lost to Gai.  
  
"DAYO!" Gai shouted triumphantly. "I have finally defeated my great rival, Kakashi." He grinned, receiving blank stares from the people gathered around the spectacle.  
  
"Um... yeah, think whatever you want, but don't forget about the 14 days with Saku." Naruto added quickly. This was probably the first time that Kakashi had ever done something correctly, and Naruto was going to enjoy this. This break would give him time to contemplate about what to do with Sasuke, and how he was going to improve his training.  
  
"Alright, show's over, guys. Kakashi, Gai, if you didn't know yet, there's a meeting here tonight. Spread the word to Asuma and the other Jounins. Gai, tell Shikamaru and Ibiki to assemble six extra ANBU squads and have them patrol around Konoha's perimeter. We can't risk another Akastsuki attack and we have to be careful about Sasuke." Tsunade ordered. "Naruto, Sakura, you two take the day off. Jiraiya, you're staying with me."  
  
"Wait, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked quizzically. "What about him?" Even though Sasuke was deemed a S class criminal, Kakashi still believed that there was still some good in Sasuke. He had trained the Shinobi as his surrogate son and had even taught him the Chidori, one of Kakashi's most powerful techniques.  
  
"You'll find out later tonight." Tsunade said. "Now, you all are dismissed... except for you Jiraiya. We still have matters to discuss."  
  
"Alright then, I guess we'll see you tonight." Naruto bade the two Sennin farewell, as he and Sakura headed home, dragging a crestfallen Gai along with them. Kakashi chuckled at the sight as the Jounin futilely tried to resist Naruto's and Sakura's combined efforts. He slipped off quietly under the watchful eye of the 5th Hokage. After all Kakashi had left, Tsunade turned to Jiraiya with a quick nod and wink and indicated him to follow her. Jiraiya grunted knowingly, and followed her as the two chased after the younger Jounin. 


End file.
